Clever as the ruse was, it failed in the face of Alliedintelligence efforts. By 28
November coast watchers had reported the Japanese landing concrete and
other construction materials on New Georgia for the airfield. On 3
December a photoreconnaissance
mission detected the ruse, and by 5 December the photographic
interpreters had located gun
emplacements and a 2000-foot runway under the fronds. On 9 December the
first B-17 raid took
place, but neither this nor subsequent raids was able to prevent the
Japanese from basing Zeros on the airfield after completing the first runway on 15 December. The Americans were discovering for
themselves what they had already demonstrated to the Japanese, namely,
just how hard it was to knock out an airfield. However, the Zeros were
so hard-pressed defending their own base that they never had a chance
to try to establish air superiority over Henderson Field, and convoys
to New Georgia also came under heavy air attack.

Munda was heavily bombarded by Task Force 67 (Ainsworth), with three light cruisers and two destroyers, on the night of 4-5
January 1943. The operation was notable as the first time that PBY Catalina "Black Cat"
aircraft participated in an operation, providing effective spotting for
the bombarding force.

The
airfield became a target for Allied invasion in June 1943.
This led to a protracted battle
that forced the Americans
to rethink their Solomons strategy. Halsey's next attack
would leapfrog
Kolombangara to land at weakly
defended Vella Lavella, and
the pattern
of leapfrogging Japanese strongpoints would characterize Allied
operations for the remainder of the war.